One's Shell
by Unleashed Reasoning
Summary: Breaking free...


Fake… A game… a maze… Everything was fake. The people, the smiles, the laughter, the serenity…

Fear, anguish, despair… barring one's path and making things unclear. Heart pounding in one's chest, eyes glued to the scene you know can't be true… but is happening. Hands clenched tight, wanting to desperately call out… yet silent.

It rains flowers. It rains tears. The sky is dark. Was it ever truly blue? Barred, chained, locked within a shell of our own making. We race around in pointless circles, seeking, searching… finding nothing. Broken windows, shards of glass, and not a whisper is made, as the game comes to a frightening halt.

What's next? What shall come? What doors shall be opened? Is there even a road to take? Is there a place to call home, to feel safe?

The fighting, the screaming, the tremors of uncertainty. The sound of steel clashing upon steel fills the air. A ring, a symbol, a memory of long past. Steps, endlessly climbing high up into the sky. A sword, a broom… a broken stick falling upon the ground. Flowers, petals, scattered everywhere. Stars… stars above and below, shining brilliantly. Breathless…

Caught, trapped, afraid, and uneasy of what lies in the path ahead. Unknown, yet expected closure. You walk. You wait. You tense at every move I make. Yet you smile… Your hand is warm… gentle… Your smile… my goodness, that daring, innocent smile. Your voice, your words, your courage… You jump up. You chance fate. You challenge destiny, and you fight the very structure of our world. Eyes, so bright… so blue… They see through me, see everything… but seeing nothing.

You sit. You watch. The bells toll, and you look up, elegantly. Your profile, lit by the sun around you. Calling me, capturing me. I cannot be set free. I would be happy… if I dared to dream.

And you deny. You challenge what you see. You distrust what you hear. You force your way forward, blazing in a glimmer of glory as your sword arches tightly. Standing… staring at me… with those eyes. I can't do this.

I stand. I fight. I push forward. My routine… it's gone. You've broken me… my habits. You're making my world swell. You're pushing its limits. I'm caught… I'm staring. I'm… dancing.

It's so light… so breathless. I'm staring into your eyes… helpless. This control, this fear… it's… leaving. I shine and I break. The gates are locked. The bell has sound. The duel begins. The ring! The accursed ring… the symbol of hope and endless futility.

I dare… to reach out. I call you. I cry for you. I dream of you. Your eyes haunt my sleep. Your voice embraces me in my slumber. Your line to safety is dangling before me, the way out of this clustered web. You smile. You hold out your hand. All I have to do is reach.

My heart hammers at my chest. I'm mute as I watch you battle yet again. You win, and win, and every time it looks close, you always pull ahead. The water, the stars… the night forever burned in my memory. I could teach you. I could show you. But you're showing me. You're making me grow. You're opening my shell. You're breaking me free. I'm frightened. I'm weak. You show no hesitation as you raise me to my feet.

Spinning… dancing… smiling… I want to be free. I want to see what else lies behind those eyes… beyond these gates. You look away. You hesitate. When I think my dreams have smashed again, you come running. I leap and you grab me. Safe. I… feel safe.

Understanding is slow. Willingness is slower. As I take my first step, your guiding hand is taken from me. I fight. I call. I challenge. I'm driven forward, driven by you. I race against all, against everything. I break ties and chains… I break everything. But now… I can rebuild. I don't cling to the dying… I cling to you.

Bursting away, out of the clutches of insanity, we fly, we race… we embrace. You hold me close. You smile. My dreams… My newfound hope… You're shaking my reality. You're breaking down it's doors. You're opening my world… to possibility.

All I have to give… is a simple chaste kiss.

You smile. We dance. The world of roses melts to shadows behind us. The road is barren, broken, a mess. But we charge forward… and we simply smile… at chance.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this was written with the anime on my mind. It stands perfectly well enough on it's own as an original, but I did write it with the intent of posting it here. Turned out pretty well I thought. Hope you enjoyed it.


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